


Worth Two

by methylviolet10b



Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Fluff and Crack, Gen, Prompt Fill, and there's a swoose, attempts at humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 14:50:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4353038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/methylviolet10b/pseuds/methylviolet10b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times is absurdity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worth Two

**Author's Note:**

> Written for JWP #15: That Old Saying.  
> Warnings: Ridiculously silly. Groan-worthy attempts at humor. And absolutely no beta. This was written in a huge rush. You have been warned.

“What _is_ it with poultry swallowing valuable objects?” Watson panted. His hat was askew, and his tweed suit was coated with dust. “This is what, the third bird that had something valuable down its gullet in the course of your cases?”  
  
“Yes,” Holmes panted, coming up to one knee from where he’d face-planted on the dusty ground of the yard. “But I don’t know that the carbuncle-swallowing goose counts, as it was force-fed the Countess’ jewel. The trained cormorant, however - ”  
  
“The less said about the cormorant, Holmes, the better.”  
  
“True enough. Ha!” He lunged forward from his crouch, but just missed his mark. Happily, the movement sufficiently startled his target to the point where Watson was finally able to get close.  
  
“Got him!”  
  
“Oh well done, Watson! Now just hang on, while I help secure him.”  
  
“Hurry, Holmes – I feel like I’m being beaten with a feather-duster. Ouch! A _biting_ feather-duster!”  
  
With Holmes’ help, the culprit was finally subdued and secured, although it continued to hiss at them. Elsewhere in the yard, the prospective mates of the prized hybrid cackled and shrieked from the safety of the shrubbery.  
  
“I must say, Holmes, for all this supposedly being a rare prized specimen, this is the ugliest bird I’ve ever seen.”  
  
“Hybrids are often less attractive than their parent breeds,” Holmes agreed. “Certainly this swoose is no credit to either his swan or his goose parents. The important thing is that we have him.” A mischievous grin lit his lean features.  “In this case, a bird in the hand is most definitely worth more than the two in that bush over there.”  
  
Watson shook his head. “Perhaps so, Holmes, but given that we’re under strict instructions not to harm this fellow in any way, you’ve got the wrong aphorism.” He looked meaningfully at the swoose’s densely-feathered tail.  “In this case, it’s all’s well that ends well – eventually, anyway.”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted July 15, 2015
> 
> Additional author's note: Yes, swoose really exist, and they really are a cross between a swan and a goose.


End file.
